ERMEHN
The Path Of Blood

Polynesian writers have commented on the physical and psychological effects of colonisation. Albert Wendt’s Flying Fox in a Freedom Tree (1974) and John Pule’s The Shark that ate the Sun (1992) are concerned with the coming to terms with Papalagi culture.

Polynesian immigration into Aotearoa has been an important part of this experience since the 1940’s, Wendt and Pule articulate the conflict between the desire to leave the Pacific home for a different life and the reality of that life. Like these authors, Polynesian hip hop artists have been developing their own form of cultural cartography, finding a new voice through the contemporary confluence of elements that make up Polynesian hip hop.

Like all cultures it has divergent narratives, different ways of seeing, so those artists like King Kapisi, Feelstyle, Dei Hamo and Savage all express differing portraits of Polynesian identity. Hip hop has allowed this dialogue of inclusion where other facets of culture have only excluded it, or misrepresented the desires.

Here we have Ermehn with The Path of Blood, his family name is Lealaialoto, which in translation reads as “to walk in the path of blood”, an unflinching raw sore of an album concerned with the life style of a gangsta. No fantasy of far away Bloods and Crips but the reality of a life lived hard here in South Auckland. Of an “Otara O.G” who since 14yrs old has been hustling, selling drugs, establishing the meth amphetamine trade, being a soldier in the King Cobras; stories not heard, lives not acknowledged until now.

He came from what he describes as a “good family”, his brother a pastor, his father a builder who worked hard for their economic survival. As a child he grew up next to Otara creek- a geographical signpost that figures strongly in his work- and did kid things, he was a member of Youth for Christ for a time, but the hood provided a stronger bond, gave him an education and purpose. Street life became linked to music, he joined crews and met many – Brotha D, Dean Hapata, Dei Hamo, the Fuemana collective- who have become the bedrock of our present hip hop movement. He was a part of the Otara Millionaires Club before Pauly Fuemana became O.M.C. and was involved in the culturally significant Proud album and tour as Radio Back Stab. Within the confines of the Aotearoan MC world he has always carried respect.

After the release of his debut album in the mid 90”s, Samoans Part 11, he spent 4 years as a patched member of the King Cobras, hustling in a very serious manner. Of this time he says.” I feel bad for introducing P, its w hat I did, wear the colours, patched up, gang life has a lot of perks, but a lot of shit as well”. Various troubles and disputes occurred leading to break up with his partner and 3 months without seeing his son. “I’ll always be a gangsta, but there’s a time and a place to be gangsta. When you’re hustling, but not in the family. Anger management taught me a lot, it was time to clean my act up, need to wake up, heal myself. It didn’t happen straight away, still doing wrong. During this time I met some Mongrel Mob who told me I should be a voice for their life styles. Gangstas go through a lot of shit, I’m the voice for that.”

He started making music, recording this album on drug money. At first he was going to just sell it out of the boot of his car, and then he played it to D.L.T who passed it on to Malcolm Black of Sony/BMG who, despite its problematic nature, decided to support it. Ermehn had waited for 5yrs. “I knew in my heart this was going to come out, its my turn now. I waited real long and patiently for this time to fight, it was like putting on an old jacket.”

The Path of Blood is a very tough album but also very truthful, in effect an autobiography of a Polynesian man who ‘Never fronts, never rap or write about what you haven’t done, its all about respect and foundation.” This is total realism unbridled and uncensored, like he said its like “listening to 20/20 in the form of hip hop.”

The album begins with a real news item and throughout there are media interludes that concern Ermehn, they act as reflections and comments on the songs, this cinema verite structure adds a documentary feel to it all. But it’s the power and craft of the songs that really matter. First single is the incendiary Bank Job where alternative economics are used by “Otara bandits screwdriver banging” in order to “put another steak on the grill/Mum and Dad I’ve got the bills/I’m about to pay the bills. ”Things don’t go well and consequences follow. Silver and Gold is a track that confronts the aftermath of criminality, where he talks of “lost souls” and fractured families. Both have been made into videos produced by Oscar Kightly and present the songs perfectly. Many hood tales are told like Snake City, Savage Waters, Red Lights and Otara Streets- which examines his beef with Dawnraid- all bold declarations of a wild life, there is no denial going on here, he did what he did. But they do operate as cautionary tales showing us the violence without romance. This wrenching apart of the life is partly instructive, showing just what really happens, that this is real and if you aren’t real then step back.

As the album progresses an element of redemption enters, tracks like Better Place and Outside Looking In show Ermehn looking beyond, finding peace with himself and changing all around him. An emotional element is the song to his mother, Mamma Way; here the redemptive urge is strongly felt.
A fine album, from the songs themselves, the production from Alan Togi who crafts powerful beats with interspersed horn lines and old school string cadences. Guest spots come from Mareko, Two-Face, MR Sick and Savage Poets who add greatly to Ermehn’s own flow.
This is our first pure gangsta album, from the mouth of a real gangsta; it’s an important document that deserves attention.
Let’s leave with a few lines from a track called Herman, autobiographical for sure and a statement of purpose.

“I’m never running away…I’m Herman Don Dada, machete knife fighter. / I’m a fucking Samoan born on Kiwi fucking streets/ I’m on some new shit catch up and read a book/ This is some real shit, some real life gangsta shit.”